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Democrats say Trump's 'bizarre' convention is a distraction from his faltering presidency
DALLAS (AP) -- It's not just Republicans descending on Dallas for the midterm convention -- Democrats are there too as they try to convince voters that the reality of Donald Trump's second presidency doesn't match the spectacle of his made-for-TV event.
"This bizarre Republican midterm convention here can't paper over the fact that Republicans have done nothing to earn your vote," Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a potential 2028 presidential contender, said Wednesday morning.
Trump organized the two-day gathering in an attempt to boost Republican enthusiasm despite his low approval ratings, economic concerns and dissatisfaction over the war with Iran. Democrats are trying to capitalize on voters' frustration to retake control of Congress.
Besides Pritzker, several leading House Democrats were traveling to Dallas for events, as well. And Texas Democrats hope the spotlight on the state ends up benefiting their candidates.
James Talarico, a Texas state lawmaker who is running against state Attorney General Ken Paxton in a closely watched Senate race, held a food drive Wednesday at Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas. He compared volunteers' work with Republicans' festivities.
"While we're here serving our neighbors, billionaire megadonors and their puppet politicians are clinking their Champagne glasses," Talarico said. "They are toasting to their own corruption. They are celebrating corrupt tariffs, billionaire tax breaks and a new forever war that are all driving up costs."
Several Democrats on Wednesday mocked Trump's idea for a midterm convention, an unusual affair that, unlike presidential nominating conventions held every four years, does not involve official party business handled by delegates from across the country. Trump will be featured both nights and is also using it as an opportunity for fundraising.
Talarico smiled as he thought about wealthy Republicans spending thousands of dollars for a picture with Trump.
"If you want a picture with me," he said, "it's free."
Texas Democratic chairman Kendall Scudder added, "Trump's trickle-up economics is taking money out of your pocket and giving it to the richest people in this country," but he insisted that Democrats are determined to do more than criticize the president.
"This party has stood in modern history on the side of working-class people," he said. "We're recapturing that narrative."
Man whose 16 grandchildren found living in filthy conditions is found incompetent to stand trial
McARTHUR, Ohio (AP) -- A man whose 16 grandchildren were discovered living in squalid conditions at a rural southern Ohio home was found mentally incompetent to stand trial Wednesday.
A judge in Vinton County accepted the findings of an evaluation report for Gary Siders Sr. Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer did not object to the findings.
The 73-year-old Siders appeared in court in a wheelchair. His attorney, Dorian Baum, said after the hearing that Siders' mental health has been declining for years and is "not restorable."
"It's not really a surprise to any of us that he's not been found competent at this point," Baum said. "He doesn't fully understand or appreciate what's going on."
Siders was charged with 16 counts of child endangerment related to the children, who were rescued June 30 from a home in Hamden about 80 miles south of Columbus.
Siders' wife, Christina Siders; son Gary Siders Jr., and daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Siders, the children's mother, have pleaded not guilty.
Investigators said the children remained mostly confined to a small room in the house under deplorable conditions. The children weren't enrolled in school, the family moved around over the past two decades, and neighbors said they'd never spotted the kids.
At the time they were found, the children ranged in age from 18 months to 18 years, with some described as "feral" and unable to speak. Authorities said their medical conditions varied.
The eldest was born in May 2008, two months after Gary Siders Jr., then 18, and Elizabeth, then 15, crossed into West Virginia to marry at the Mason County Courthouse with her parents' consent, according to court records. She has been pregnant most years since then, the records show.
'South Park' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone 'rename' show to 'South America' in jab at Trump
The creators of the long-running and enthusiastically insolent TV show "South Park" aren't known to be huge fans of President Donald Trump. However, they've decided to adopt one of his ideas -- in a way.
They're changing -- at least for the moment -- the name of the popular series, which just won the Emmy for outstanding animated program.
In a statement posted on the show's Instagram page, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone say they are "changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA." The statement comes as Trump, escalating his trade war with Canada, has declared he's renaming Lake Ontario to be known as "Lake America" in the United States.
The move by the two satirists, a week before the 29th season premiere of "South Park" -- er, "SOUTH AMERICA" -- also takes aim at Apple and Google, which have adopted Trump's changes, as well as the show's own parent company.
Apple has relabeled Lake Ontario to "Lake America" for U.S. users of its Maps app, following cartographic competitor Google.
"Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA. We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount -- a Skydance Capitulation."
The hugely successful "South Park" airs on Paramount-owned Comedy Central. Parker and Stone have taken aim at Paramount's merger with Skydance. But in July 2025, Paramount announced a five-year renewal deal with Parker and Stone, including streaming rights for previous "South Park" seasons on Paramount+.
During his second term, Trump has also signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America" even though parts of it lie in international waters. Apple and Google maps also followed suit in that case.
Also in line with Trump's enthusiasm for renaming things -- after America, or after himself -- he suggested this week that New Mexico be renamed "New America," though it was uncertain whether that was serious.
He also arranged for the Kennedy Center to add his name to its building, a move that has triggered much controversy.
Cleaning crew killed in Miami cargo jet crash was wrapping up shift at hard, demanding job
Five members of a crew killed when an Amazon cargo jet smashed into their van were wrapping up their eight-hour shift cleaning planes at the Miami airport when they were struck, lawyers for one of the victims said on Wednesday.
The deadly crash has drawn attention to a workforce that largely operates out of sight of most travelers, tidying airplane cabins for often low pay while sometimes working in hot and dangerous conditions. But the job is also critical to keeping the airline industry moving 24 hours a day.
"This is certainly very tragic. You would not think riding in a van to clean an airplane, that this would happen," National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said.
Two other workers in the van were in the hospital days after their Econoline van was crushed by the speeding jet that investigators said appeared to be reconsidering a landing Sunday before running out of runway.
Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53, came to the U.S. from Cuba in 2011 and worked multiple jobs for his family over the past 14 years, said attorney Jorge Garcia, who is a friend of Naranjo's family and filed a wrongful-death lawsuit on their behalf against Amazon, 21 Air, which operated the plane, and the pilots.
Naranjo was driving the van and working a 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift for Professional Ocean Service Corp. His wife started frantically texting him when he didn't arrive home on time. After seeing her texts weren't being read, she found a news story about the crash, Garcia said.
Naranjo was a "very hardworking man, very loved by his wife, very loved by his son, and as you can imagine what they've gone through is really unimaginable," Garcia said at a news conference.
Julio C. Pineda also came to the U.S. from Cuba. The 75-year-old was known as "El mago" -- "The Magician" -- because he was always doing magic tricks, his neighbors told NBC News.
He was calm, helpful, and there was always music and fun when his children came over, they said.
"He was someone who was always laughing and telling stories," Alberto Leandro said. "You'd see him and he'd crack a joke in the elevator."
Killed along with Naranjo and Pineda were Rolando Aleman Leon, 55; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47.
Ridoel Averhoff Diaz, 32, and Roosevelt Sebastian Perdomo Torres, 36, remained in the hospital in critical condition Tuesday, the sheriff's office said.
Former volunteer sues César Chavez nonprofits over failing to stop union leader from sexual abuse
One of the organizers who said she was sexually abused by Latino labor leader César Chavez decades ago has sued nonprofits tied to him.
The complaint filed last week in Southern California is the first legal action since the explosive allegations surrounding Chavez were first reported by the New York Times in March. The newspaper also first reported the complaint in Kern County Superior Court on Wednesday.
Filed on behalf of a Jane Doe, it names the César Chavez Foundation and the United Farm Workers Foundation as defendants. Both organizations are accused of failing to investigate complaints over the years about Chavez. They are being sued for several violations including negligent supervision, negligent infliction of emotional distress and sexual harassment. The woman was moved to go to civil court after learning more about the scope of Chavez's alleged abuse of girls and women, including labor figure Dolores Huerta.
The Associated Press does not name victims or survivors of sexual assault and abuse unless they come forward publicly.
"This has been a long time coming for her to take this step," V. James DeSimone, one of the attorneys representing her pro bono, told the AP. "She's committed to the process and is grateful she can legally do something about this all these years later. She suffered a lot over the years. It continues to cause her stress and anxiety."
DeSimone says he expects to hear from other abuse survivors.
The woman, now in her 80s, first met Chavez when she moved to California's Central Valley after graduating college, according to the suit. Inspired by a previous summer volunteering there, she wanted to join in organizing farm workers. In 1973, she and her family were among several workers who moved into the compound in Keene that was the offices of the organization now known as the United Farm Workers.
She says Chavez tried to ply her with alcohol and dance with her at a party that year. He later followed her to her home and raped her in a bedroom. A few years later, she said Chavez assaulted her again.
The woman believes the United Farm Workers Foundation and the César Chavez Foundation in previous years "made concerted efforts to hide evidence of sexual harassment and sexual assaults of girls and women by UFW members and leaders, including César Chavez." Women in the movement were "verbally attacked" by Chavez's top lieutenants and accused of trying to ruin the movement if they spoke up about him or their safety, according to the suit.
She is asking for a jury trial and damages including for past and future earnings as well as punitive damages.